Witness a total solar eclipse in Argentina and visit the country's most famous wine region

Experiencing a total solar eclipse is a truly special experience. As the moon moves between the sun and the earth, the sky darkens, birds and animals become agitated and the heart palpitates in anticipation. It can be a very moving experience and one which is enriched by experiencing it in an exotic destination, such as the north west of Argentina. On 2 July 2019 a total solar eclipse will draw a path through the sky over parts of Argentina. Combine this astronomical event with a visit to Argentina's most famous wine region.

Highlights

Total eclipse at Jachal

Wine tasting in Mendoza

Visit 2 national parks (El Leoncito and Talampaya)

Free time to explore Buenos Aires, a beautiful and cosmopolitan capital

Responsible Travel

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Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

Day 1

Those on the group flight will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in Buenos Aires. Those on land only arrangements should make their own way to the start hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to choose one of the many excellent restaurants, most serving legendary Argentine steaks!

Comfortable Hotel

Day 2

Our local leader will meet us today for a briefing and take us on a short walking tour of the city, discovering its wealth of history and culture. In this walking tour the tour leader will show you the main sites and landmarks Buenos Aires can offer. The highlights of this tour are the famous Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron (Evita) is buried, the Colon Theatre and San Martin Square. Afterwards you will have the rest of the day at leisure to explore more of this fascinating city. Tonight we recommend visiting one of the excellent tango shows in the old quarter of San Telmo. Please ask your tour leader and they will help you to arrange it.

Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast

Day 3

After breakfast we take a short transfer to the domestic airport and board our flight to Mendoza. On arrival we make our way to the hotel and have some free time to eat lunch in one of many delicious restaurants in the city. In the afternoon we have a walking city tour that will take us to see the main sites around the city, including the Fountain of The Continents and the San Martin Monument. This is a very large and extremely detailed monument in memory of Jose de San Martin-the liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru from the Spaniards.

Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast

Day 4

Today we visit a couple of wineries in the area of Lujan de Cuyo. Situated in the upper Mendoza valley, many Lujan de Cuyo vineyards sit at altitudes of around 1000m. Malbec in particular is very successful in Lujan de Cuyo, but the appellation also produces good Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Torrontes. The two wineries allow us to see the difference between a traditional winery and a more modern winery. We also visit an olive oil factory, where we get the opportunity to sample different oils, as well as other local delicacies.

Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Day 5

Today is free either to have a leisurely walk and explore the city or there are also day tours of the region. We recommend the full day tour which takes you to the Aconcagua Provincial Park and the Puente del Inca. This will include a short 1 hour hike to experience the majesty of the highest peak in the Americas. Please ask your tour leader, and they will help you to book this.

Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast

Day 6

We leave Mendoza behind early this morning as we set off on a long drive (approx. 3 hours) towards El Leoncito National Park. It consists of almost 90,000 hectares which used to be owned by the estancia 'working ranch' bearing the same name. This is a protected area which as very strict on air pollution, therefore making this a very famous area for astronomy. During this day you will have the opportunity to visit the observatory, which is one of the highlights of today. Once inside there is a small museum and we will also have a short presentation by an academic from the university of San Juan. In the afternoon we transfer (approx. 30 minutes) to our hotel in Barreal.

Standard Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Day 7

Today we have a long driving day to as we head more north west to Villa Union. We break up the journey with a few stops in order to take pictures of the dramatic desert landscape set against the background of the Andean mountain range. We also include a stop for lunch at a convenient point along the way. On arrival at our hotel we check in and the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Today's driving time is approx. 6 hours in total.

Standard Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast

Day 8

In the morning we will head past Talampaya National Park and visit its neighbour Ischigualasto Provincial Park, also known as Moon Valley. The highlight of this tour is climbing up the Cerro Morado, for really incredible panoramic views of the park. Hopefully we'll see condors soaring overhead too! In the afternoon we head back to our hotel in Villa Union.

Standard Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Day 9

After breakfast we have a short transfer before arriving at the spectacular Talampaya National Park. We spend most of the day exploring the highlight of the park, which is the Talampaya Canyon. This is a 150 metre high wall, where you can find many petroglyphs (rock carvings) as well as fossils which prove that dinosaurs lived here millions of years ago. We also cross a part of the park which can only be done in a vehicle accompanied by a national park guide.

In the afternoon we drive (approx. 2 hours) towards Jachal, where we will witness the eclipse. As tonight we will arrive late back at our hotel, we will have some free time to eat in town.

A total solar eclipse is one of the most spectacular celestial events visible from Earth and can, for many people, be quite an emotional experience. We head out to our viewing spot as the eclipse takes place between 16:26 and 18:47 with totality commencing at 17:40 and ending at 17:42. Don’t forget your eclipse glasses (which we will send to you before the trip).

After the eclipse we will drive (approx. 2 hours) back to our hotel for the night.

Standard Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Day 10

Depending upon the flight time, we may have some free time at the hotel this morning before we transfer (approx. 5-6 hours) to Mendoza airport. We fly back to Buenos Aires and usually arrive in time to explore more of this fascinating city.

Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Breakfast

Day 11

This is a free day to either spend exploring Buenos Aires or you can also book an optional tour to spend a day in the countryside. We recommend the full day trip to visit an estancia 'working ranch' in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. At the estancia you will have the opportunity to go horseriding, watch a game of Polo or even have a Polo lesson. Please ask your tour leader, and they will help you to arrange it.

Post-trip Extensions

Iguazu Falls Extension

Code:
XAF

To the far North East of Argentina, boarding Brazil lies the magnificent falls of Iguazu (or Iguassu). Add four additional days to your trip to experience this awe-inspiring sight. Staying on the Argentinian side you will have the opportunity to wander around this UNESCO World Heritage National Park packed full of flora and fauna. In the heart of the park you will find the cascading waters. This spectacular waterfall is not to be missed. You can also get up close to the falls by taking a boat trip as an optional extra.

It is possible to upgrade to premium accommodation- please call for details.

Essential Info

Visas

Argentina

All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay.

No visa required for holders of British passport.

If you are crossing the border into Argentina from Chile on your trip, we will need to know your profession in order to provide when entering Argentina.

The Argentine government charges a reciprocity fee which applies to Canadian and Australian citizens. The amounts are as follows: Australians - US$100 (multiple entry) Canadians - US$75 (single entry) This fee must be paid before you enter Argentina. For full details, and to make the payment, please visit: https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes

Vaccinations

Argentina

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated the travel advice for Argentina with an update to the Health section – an outbreak of Hantavirus has been reported in Epuyén, Province of Chubut in southern Argentina; for more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC).

Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers in Argentina, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim.

Dengue fever is also a known risk in Argentina. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Due to a recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in the Misiones province of Argentina, vaccinations are strongly recommended if you intend to visit the Iguazu Falls.

Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts and 4 lunches included.

Hotel breakfasts are normally buffet-style and are included. There are 2 packed lunches included. These will mainly consist of a sandwich/empanada, fruit, a cereal/chocolate bar and a bottle of water/juice.

There is a variety of good, quality food on offer in local restaurants. In each location where we stay there are numerous evening meal options to cater for different tastes. The group leader will be able to make recommendations and often everyone will eat together, however you can choose to dine wherever you prefer in the evenings. Please advise us at the time of booking if you have any special dietary requirements. Vegetarians are catered for throughout the trip, but please ensure that you advise us before you travel so that we can make the necessary arrangements on your behalf.

Argentine steak is famous around the world and you will not be disappointed, especially if you combine it with locally produced Malbec.

A typical meal will cost around US$20 (excluding alcohol) throughout the trip.

Weather

Since Argentina is in the southern hemisphere, so in July it will be winter in Buenos Aires. The average temperatures in Mendoza are 14ºC during day and 2ºC at night in July.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is a one-off departure to coincide with the total solar eclipse of July 2019. We have two internal flights on this trip to reduce driving but there is still one long drive on Day 7 from Barreal to Villa Union which is approx. 5-6 hours including stops to take pictures.

The weather in San Juan is fairly constant year round so whilst there are good chances of clear skies for the eclipse we cannot guarantee that there will not be some cloud cover.

Please note there is another eclipse trip available, which includes the Salta region instead of Mendoza. Although there will be an overlap with this group in Buenos Aires and Villa Union, both groups will each have a different tour leader.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as not suitable for full wheelchair users, but it may be suitable for other persons of reduced mobility. Please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

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Dates & Prices

An overview of flight options

Exodus is committed to making joining our tours as easy as possible, wherever you live. We generally only block book seats from London, but this certainly does not mean that you need to fly from there. Depending on the route and airlines available, there will usually be various options available for those who want to fly from their local airport.

This page aims to provide a useful overview of the options available to our clients. However, the best flight arrangements should be tailored to your personal requirements, so please contact our Sales team for expert advice.

What kind of options do I have ?

1. We can book for you: Flights from anywhere in the world - not via London

Depending on the route, this may be direct or via an overseas hub like Amsterdam, the Middle East or elsewhere. On short haul routes there may be direct flights with low cost airlines, charter flights or scheduled airlines. Exodus can book most, but not all, of these for you. The most appropriate airline may be different to that which we use for the group flight from London, but many people now travel on different airlines and meet up with their fellow passengers at the destination.

Pros

Cons

May be the most direct route

Often the extra fare compared to the London flight is minimal.

As you will be in the hands a single airline for your entire journey, the airline will be responsible for your bags and your connections.

You may not be able to join the group transfers. However, we can usually arrange private transfers, or book your flights to try and coincide with the group transfers. See notes on transfer arrangements below.

2. We can book for you: Connecting flights from your local airport to London

Exodus can book connecting flights to London so you can join the group flight there. Connecting times will be followed according to airline advice, or as requested by clients. There are two types of fares we can use for this option: a 'through-fare' or a 'published fare'.

a) A 'through-fare' is where you will be in the main airline's care throughout. You change planes, but your bags are checked all the way through to your final destination.

b) A 'published fare' ticket is completely seperate from your onward ticket from London. It is usually cheaper than a through-fare but will need to be paid for and issued as soon as it is booked. This can be a problem if your tour has not yet reached minimum numbers. On 'published fares' neither airline is aware that you have connecting flights, so Exodus is responsible for timing your connection, not the airlines involved. The tickets are also usually non changeable and non refundable.

Pros

Cons

Depending on the fare type, Exodus or the airline is responsible for flight connections.

Through fare tickets can be expensive.

On a published fare, tickets must be issued immediately; tickets on published fares can be very difficult to change if onward flight times change; bags are not checked though to your final destination.

Published fares are non-refundable.

3. Booking some or all of the flights yourself

You can also book connecting air travel yourself, either to London, or all the way to the start point. There may be certain airlines or routes we don't have access to, so this is always an option. However, if you make your own travel arrangements you become liable for any delays, cancellations or missed connections, and Exodus is not required to offer refunds if you have trouble reaching the start of your trip.

Pros

Cons

You might find cheaper fares, or routes not available to Exodus.

You are responsible for any delays or missed connections, and the cost of the tour is not protected should you miss your flight be cancelled.

Notes on transfer arrangements

Sometimes it is possible to travel on a different airline to the group flight from London. Where this is the case, we need to think about ensuring you meet up with the group with minimum extra cost and hassle.

On certain trips, it is easy to arrive on a different flight and still meet the group at the hotel with time in hand. We can usually arrange private transfers (at extra cost) or offer advice on taking a taxi to the start hotel.

On other trips (especially in Europe), the transfer meets the group flight and then travels some distance to the first night's accommodation. Where this is the case, our Sales team will try to arrange flights that arrive before (and depart after) the group. However, we do have to make it clear in your final documentation that if your flights are delayed, the transfer cannot wait for you. While Exodus or our local operators will do what we can to help you reach the start point of the tour, any additional costs must be paid by the client.